Huntingdon County

Service Members, Veterans & Their Families

Local Korean War Veteran Awarded Overdue Service Medals

Westchester Rising - 2/3/2018

Congresswoman Nita Lowey, ranking mem-standards ber on the House Appropriations Committee, last week presented five overdue service medals to Mario DiFelice, a resident and former deputy mayor of Sleepy Hollow and a Navy veteran of the Korean War, during a ceremony in her White Plains office.

"I have known Mr. DiFelice for years, and his dedication to his country and to our community is unparalleled," said Lowey. "I'm honored to present Mr. DiFelice with these medals for his service in the U.S. Navy, and I'm so glad his family could be here to see this moment. Our nation owes Mr. DiFelice an enormous debt of gratitude."

DiFelice contacted Lowey's office in August for assistance in obtaining his service medals, and the congresswoman's office contacted the National Personnel Records Center to acquire his documents for the Navy to determine the medals to which he was entitled. The NPRC forwarded the documents to the Navy at the end of November, and informed us what medals he earned. The congresswoman's office received the medals from the Navy in December.

DiFelice served in the Navy from July 2, 1948 to July 19, 1951 in Fighter Squadrons 173 and 174, on board the carriers USS Midway (CV-41), USS Coral Sea (CV-43), and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42). In addition to serving his community as deputy mayor of Sleepy Hollow from 2003 to 2008, he served as a Sleepy Hollow trustee from 1996 to 2003 and as director of the James F. Galgano Sleepy Hollow Senior Center.

DiFelice was joined at the ceremony by members of his family, including his wife, Elinor; his daughter, Michelle DiFelice; his son-in-law, Albert Feliz; his granddaughter, Demi Carrero; and his cousin-in-law, Marilyn Helwig.